Safe House Review

Another enjoyable recent film.

Felt very much like a typical Tony Scott/Denzel Washington collaboration but it was actually directed by Daniel Espinosa (yes, I had to look that spelling up!)

Ryan Reynolds is the young Safe House operative who has to keep tabs and indeed handcuffs on Washington's character.

There are some great action sequences, car chases, roof dashes, shoot outs and a brilliant set piece set around a South African football stadium which either had thousands of extras, or was filmed on an actual match day (is that Denzel Washington with a gun?!!) The reason I make the Tony Scott reference is because of that saturated film-stock method he often uses, that we see again here.

I liked the way the film blurred the lines between who was "good and bad" in the story, and there was one revelation which was, for me, jaw dropping.

Great performances and a suitable ending, though again, bold.

Denzel harks back a little to his Oscar winning Training Day persona, but all is not what it seems, and he plays all the facets of his character brilliantly. Reynolds also holds his own, and I look forward to seeing what he does next (a Deadpool spin off?! Proposal sequel?!)

A great night at the cinema only spoiled by the young lady to my right who spent the whole film texting back and forth on her mobile phone. Why pay to see a film when all you want to do is correspond with people outside the cinema! Any suggestions on "turn your flipping phone off" etiquette please feel free to comment below

4 Denzel's out of 5

The Artist Review

Not often I go and see a film the week after it has won numerous Academy awards, including Best Film, Actor and Director. But that is the case with this one.

Needless to say expectations were very high.

Were they met? Sort of.

So, a silent film. In 2012! It did take a bit of getting used to, but after a few minutes you are thoroughly enjoying the dazzling artistry on display.

One quibble would be with the aspect ratio of the film. Basically like watching TV at the cinema. Square image and barely cinematic at all. Was probably intentional, but ideally the point of going to the cinema is to enjoy as widescreen an image as possible.

The lead actors, and the dog were superb! And there were some great "Best Picture" moments that will be shown in montages for years to come. I did enjoy the film but I found the ending a little bit lacking. With the advent of talkies, our lead actor struggles to evolve, until a novel idea to bring him back towards the end.

I was just looking for a bigger payoff, does this new film become a success? We know where the film is going relationally, I just would have liked a scene where we see"Sparkle" rekindle the success George used to have.

There is a lot to love here, the best use of the word, "bang" in all of cinema, the performances, the impressive music, the cinematography and just the guts to make such picture!

So, for me, the best picture of 2011? I'm not sure, I haven't had the chance to see the latest Woody Allen or Moneyball etc. But an enjoyable film none the less, that left me a little bit cold at the end.

4 silences out of 5

The Muppets Review

The Muppets are back!

Really enjoyable comeback feature for the cloth classics.

Greatly helped by co-writer Jason Segel who lends genuine charm and enthusiasm for the stars and the material. Also greatly enjoyed were the songs mostly by Flight Of The Conchords luminary Bret Mckensie. If you liked this movie you must check out both series of their sitcom classic! (I am still indebted to Tom and Simon Wade for introducing me to this wonderful musical show, and Scrubs and, well........)

If I was nitpicking, though, I actually thought the "Life's a happy song" song was more deserving of the Academy Award than the "Man Or Muppet" song! But that's just me!

I liked the in-jokes littered throughout the script. Amy Adams was also wonderful as Mary (really looking forward to her as Lois Lane in the Man Of Steel next year!) Chris Cooper also wonderfully chewed the scenery as the bad guy (with a brilliant musical rappy moment!)

It's hard to quibble over plot points when it comes to a film involving talking and singing puppets! But oil under the muppet theatre in Hollywood? Really?!

This is a great fun film for all the family. Some nice cameos and a good life affirming message. I also liked how bright the film was! They could have gone for some sort of post-modern muppet parody, but I like the way the film pretty much went straight down the middle.

Having said that I also liked the fun they poked at Disney musical convention such as "let's meet them in the montage", and "well I did just sing a song about that!"

Good cameos (love Zach!) a fairly convenient wrap up using a bowling ball irritated, as it seemed like the core driving force of the whole story was wrapped up during the end credits! Also because of all the muppets onscreen some got a little lost in the mix but overall a film I look forward to buying and enjoying with the kids! Bring on The Great Muppet Caper remake! But leave A Muppet Christmas Carol well alone!

4 muppets out of 5

The Woman In Black Review

This is a film which helps you remember why we go to the cinema.

Why it is best to see certain films with as full a screening as possible!

I haven't seen the play (only 2 actors involved!) or read the book this is based on but I had heard enough about it to know this was a well admired and appreciated ghost story.

The film shows the boy who was Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) play a very different character, a mournful father who through his work is lead to an old abandoned house at the end of a causeway.

You can look the plot up, but needless to say this is a great scare filled experience. The 12A rating proved a full audience can be genuinely frightened without lashings of gore and severed body parts. Doors slam, figures are briefly glimpsed, a rocking chair goes mad!

All this is excellently realised and I thoroughly enjoyed hearing the audience shriek in terror!

It got to the point where the group of girls to my right were crying, "no, no, no!" at the anticipation of what might happen!

The film-makers use a lot of tricks to keep the audience engaged, although there was one section involving a swamp and a car where I thought they missed a trick. A glimpse of the woman in black at this point would have been unbearable!

I enjoyed the flashbacks, and the film in general.

I understand the films ending is quite differently to the stage play, but I somehow think it works. Certainly the way they have developed the Radcliffe character, and we see some sort of resolution for him and his family, even if slightly unexpected.

So a great scary movie, but will it be as frightening on a small screen after repeat viewings? Probably not. See it at a cinema! I find it more difficult now watching all the films I want to, becoming a Daddy and everything! But films like this remind me of the power of the communal movie watching experience.

4 Potter glasses out of 5

Chronicle Review

Went to see this low budget gem fairly late after a recent rehearsal, not sure what to expect.

Okay trailer, mild buzz from the States but then some of the reviews started to come in.

What a pleasant surprise this was. The story of three teens who happen upon a hole containing an object which causes each of them to have super powers.

This isn't like the Fantastic Four where they are subjected to the same experience and have different powers, they all are able to move things with the power of their minds.

We see them experiment with these powers. Causing trouble, playing practical jokes, entertaining themselves. But then one of them causes some serious harm and things begin to change between the boys, and inside themselves.

They also learn they can fly! And we see some of the best flying sequences put on film in a long time, if not all time. You believe you are flying with them, and with the "home camera filming" technique it all looks real and very appealing.

There are some plot holes (literally) that are evident but they are easily forgiven in the grand scheme of such an impressive film.

There were some literally "jaw dropping" moments in this film. The final ten minutes is breathtaking, as we see the true extent of the boys powers in the context of a city landscape. Helicopters, cop cars, people, buildings. Quite amazing. And like Cloverfield before it (but much better) we see top notch effects grounded in reality due to the lo-fi filming techniques that the story dictates.

Sure, I would loved the film to have been longer and seeing the boys use their powers to gain riches and female attention on a grander scale would have been amusing. But then again, that has already been done, and the way the powers consume the individuals, and it results in the bad decisions one of them makes, brings about a fresh and compelling feature debut.

Definitely a film I would love to see again on the big screen. The gauntlet has been set down in front of the other super power based films coming out this year, and on a fraction of their budgets.

And Mr Snyder, if the new Superman Man Of Steel flying sequences are NOT as exhilarating as the ones seen in this film then I will be sorely disappointed!!

5 stars out of 5

War Horse Review

Here we have the latest film from a certain Mr Spielberg.

To say I grew up with Steven Spielberg's films would be an overstatement but I have great memories of watching his films from a very early age.

Running out of the screening of Jaws, loving the "Close Encounters" poster, staying all the way through the credits of E.T. Running to catch a bus in Swansea after watching Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom in 1984, with the theme tune still running through my head (okay I know Last Crusade is the best Indy film, but we had to wait another five years for that.)

Realising that 1993 was one of the greatest Spielberg years when he released both Schindler's List and Jurassic Park in the same year. Two such different films but both cinematic masterpieces.

It's been a bumpy ride here and there, since then as a Spielberg aficionado, but still many films to treasure along the way-Saving Private Ryan, Catch me If You Can, War of The Worlds. Amistad?Munich? The Terminal? Not so much.

I have to say I was quite disappointed with Tintin, a bit like the popcorn I was eating, it was sweet and easy to swallow, but without any real substance or lasting effects afterwards.

So we come to War Horse. Was I disappointed? No. Is it Steven's best film? Far from it. Is it worth seeing on a big screen? Absolutely!!

All the great Spielberg films for me have truly memorable John Williams scores and this film is no exception. The music is amazing in this film and truly underlines the many emotions that we are feeling. I'm going to watch the Oscars in a few weeks but I have no great favourites in any category. Apart from best original score, which it would be wonderful for Mr Williams to step up and receive once again. Although, sure, I'd love Meryl to get a third Oscar now I think about it!

The story of War Horse is quite well known now. Spielberg takes us back to almost another era of film-making with this film. And it's nice to visit!

I admit to having teary eyes on several occasions. The way the camera moves and is situated shows Spielberg's knack for drawing his audience in. There is a great harvest scene, a two horse race and a sequence towards the end of the film where I was almost blubbing like a baby (although now having had a baby, they don't so much blub as scream!)

I thought the acting was excellent throughout, and this is a film I look forward to watching again. Will it be again and again and again? I'm not sure. The film is very episodic in structure, a couple of sections feeling a bit more flabby than others. I might be tempted to move to the chapters on the Blu Ray that will have us reaching for the hankie.

Anyway, great return to form for Spielberg after Crystal Skull and Tintin, and I very much look forward to what he and Mr Day Lewis will be doing with the upcoming Lincoln.

4 stars out of 5

Sherlock On A Mission With A Dragon Tattoo Review

Since becoming a Daddy for the first time my nights are no longer my own and my mind is at times rather groggy!

But here are some thoughts about the Sherlock cinematic sequel, the fourth Mission Impossible and the Fincher version of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.

Feeling more alive now, although I have just been interrupted to see if there is any "wind left in my daughter!!"

So first of all the Sherlock sequel-

Have to say I adored the first outing with messrs Law and Downey Jr. A big fun adventure.

This sequel I don't think I enjoyed quite as much. This film was definitely "darker" with it's murkier tone and suicide etc, but not every second film has to go for an Empire Strikes Back feel.

It just wasn't as fun as the first film. I liked the Moriarty character as played menacingly by Jared Harris, but some of the fx showing what might happen next over and over again got a bit tedious. Some of the Sherlock disguises were excellent, as was the ending.

The film just seemed to lack the ingenious action scenes of the original. There were a lot of guns, of various sizes! I hope they make another Sherlock film, but just go back to the rollicking adventure feel of the first film (which we've been saying to the Pirates gang ever since Dead Mans Chest!)

I enjoyed Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol, particularly on the IMAX screen in Cardiff. There were moments when we could have been flying over Dubai!

The action scenes were mostly excellent. Particularly the Tom Cruise prancing around outside the tallest building in the World sequence.

The trouble was this scene came midway through the film, which left the end 45 mins or so with a lot to live up to, which it just didn't achieve.

Tom Cruise was excellent as well as the rest of the cast. Jeremy Renner was great and I look forward to him in his new Bourne role. I enjoyed Smon Pegg who did give some intended comic relief.

I really enjoyed some of the gadgets, the camera producing the print outs in the suitcase etc.

I think as a complete film Mission Impossible 3 is probably my favourite. And that's not that great a film. It just seems to work best as a complete picture. Of course. You could take scenes from the first two films and make one great movie! But they were both muddled at best.

Having said all that I think Tom Cruise has another Mission Impossible in him and I would look forward to seeing it. Just maybe link the action scenes together with a slightly better story. Brad Bird should get on with an Incredibles sequel!

I admit I haven't read any of the Millenium trilogy which the Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is based on, but I have seen all 3 original Swedish versions and I enjoyed them, although Dragon Tattoo was by far the best. Of course the Swedish films were actually made for Swedish TV. Recently expanded blu rays have been released which show this.

Fincher's film then, is definitely a better, more cinematic film. you can see he had a much bigger budget to play with than the made for TV version. I think Daniel Craig is excellent in the role of the disgraced magazine editor. I like the way this version brings his relationship with his daughter more into focus.

Rooney Mara, is excellent as this girl with the dragon tattoo, playing it quite different to Noomi Rapace in the originals. If anything I felt that Mara's interpretation was more layered and created a more convincing character. Although I know who would win in a fight between the two (Rapace!)

This is certainly a much more adult film. One I'm not sure I would watch over and over, I guess it depends whether Fincher takes on the two sequels.

So I would give 3 tattoos, 3 deerstalkers or 3 exploding messages to each of these films.

Next review will be War Horse